Mobile hydrotherapy equipment



Nov. 11, 1969 T. H. TRACY MOBILE HYDROTHERAPY EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 31, 1967 Nov. 11, 1969 T. H. TRACY MOBILE HYDROTHERAPYEQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1967 United States Patent3,477,424 MOBILE HYDROTHERAPY EQUIPMENT Thomas H. Tracy, 30 Cross St.,Gardner, Mass. 01440 Filed Oct. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 679,407 Int. Cl. A61h9/00, 33/06 US. Cl. 128-66 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Bed-sidehydrotherapy equipment includes a mobile cabinet having separate sourcesof cold and hot liquid, and a remote port-able sleeve compartment havingtransparent flexible film walls and associated inflatable bladder meansfor expanding the compartment walls to maintain the internal volume ofthe compartment around a body member inserted and sealed water-tight inthe compartment, together with connecting conduits with associatedvalves so that liquid may be circulated through the compartmentselectively from and to either of the sources. Aeration is provided tothe compartment in cross flow relation to the liquid flow through thecompartment to provide whirlpool effects.

This invention relates to hydrotherapy equipment and more particularlyto mobile equipment adapted for use at a patients bedside asdistinguished from immovable equipment permanently installed inhydrotherapy tub rooms to which a patient has to be moved and which isthus unavailable to an immobilized patient, for example, one in legtraction who otherwise would benefit by hydrotherapy as, for example, toan also injured arm.

More particularly, the invention provides in conjunction with a mobilecabinet a remote portable sleeve compartment in which a portion, such asthe whole or distal part of a leg or an arm of a human body may beisolated by water seals, such compartment being removably connected tosuitable flexible conduits forming a pair of closed liquid circulatingsystems which selectively include a source of warm liquid or a source ofcold liquid, together with an associated pump and valve system such thatan operator may cut in one circuit or the other alternatively at thecontrol of the operator and at selected temperatures and flow rate.

The device thus lends itself to thermal contrast bath as well ashypothermia and a variety of other treatments.

Provision is also made for agitating the liquid circulating through thecompartment so as to provide desired whirlpool effects. Suitabledisconnects are included to permit sterilization. Preferably, thecompartment is constituted in part of transparent film for observationpurposes and has inflatable bladder means for distending the compartmentto maintain a proper internal volume in the perfusion chamber forcirculation of the liquid.

A typical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the portable sleeve compartment beforeits attachment to a body seal cap, also shown in angular relation to thecompartment for purposes of clarity in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a view of the mobile cabinet, broken away to show internalparts;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the flow system provided by thecabineted parts;

Patented Nov. 11, 1969 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view takenlongitudinally through the portable sleeve;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the compartment cap shown at the right inFIG. 1.

Turning first to the mobile cabinet shown in FIG. 2, it comprises awheeled carriage having a shelf 10 on which rest two covered tanks 12and 1-4.

Tank 12 is surrounded with cooling coils 16 connected to a refrigeratorunit 18.

Tank 14 is surrounded with an electric-resistance heater element 20.

The bottom of tank 12 communicates through a conduit 22 with a two-wayvalve 24. Tank 14 communicates with the same valve 24 through a conduit26. The outlet from valve 24 leads to a pump 27 through conduit 28 andthence upwardly to a flow regulator 30 and a flexible out-flow tube 32.

Valve 34 on the front top side of the cabinet is a return directionalvalve for fluid returning through flexible tube 36 so as to lead thefluid either by way of line 38 to tank 12 or by way of line 40 to tank14 according to the hand setting of the valve.

As shown schematically in FIG. 3, by setting valves 24 and 34 either forleft flow or right flow, pump 27 causes flow of fluid from 12 through22, 24, 28, 27, 30, 32 and return through 36, 34, 38 to 12; or from 14through 26, 24, 28, 27, 30, 32 and return through 36, 34, 40 to 14.

In FIG. 2 there is also shown on a lower shelf an air pump 42 having aline leading upwardly to an outgoing top rear air tube 44. Since as willhereinafter be described air pumped through line 44 is returned throughconduit 36 along with the liquid flow, it should be noted that thereturn conduits 38 and 40, as indicated in FIG. 3, empty into tanks 12and 14 at a level above the normal level of the liquid in the tanks.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, the portable sleeve comprises a doublewall collapsible tube of transparent film material such as asterilizable vinyl co-polymer and which is closed at its bottom end asshown in FIG. 4 but is open at its top end. Its top end, however, issealed to a rigid connector ring 52 between an O ring 53 and an externalannular clamp member 54.

The tube 50 has an inlet 55 that can be connected to tube 32 and anoutlet 56, leading through the double Walls of the tube, that can beconnected to tube 36. The inner wall 57 of the tube is heat-sealed tothe outer wall 58 of the tube along longitudinal seams 59 spacedcircumferentially around the tube and terminating, as shown in FIG. 4,short of the ends of the tube at point 60 to provide communication atthe ends between the longitudinal cells formed between the walls.

A hand pressure bulb 61 with a releasable one-way valve 62 is attachedthrough the outer wall 5-8 of the tube so that the bladder formedbetween the double walls can be inflated to rigidity the structure afterit has been positioned on the part to be treated.

In addition, there is supported along the bottom of the tube from an airinlet 63 an internal rigid assembly comprising two opposite arcuateheaders 64 and 65 connected by three spaced perforated rigid tubes 66.

When the air tube 44 from the cabinet is connected to inlet 63, a flowof air in cross-flow relation to the liquid flowing from inlet 55 tooutlet 56 is provided to give agitation to the liquid and providewhirlpool effects depending upon the relative rates of flow. The airexhausts with the outgoing liquid through outlet 56 and discharges asthe liquid falls into the tank 12 or 14.

The bag 50 is inserted, as for instance over a human arm, after the sealcap shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 has been previously positioned as, forexample, around the biceps.

Such cap 70 has a rigid annulus 72 provided with two external grooves 73and 74. A rubber diaphragm 75 having a central aperture surrounded by acircular sleeve 76 is stretched drum-like over the ring 73 and securedthereto by an O-spring or ring 77. Fitted over the diaphragmed ring is awater-proofed cloth cuff 78 which is clamped against a resilient O-ring79 by an external clamp 80.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ring 72 has pressure cooker type lugs 81 adaptedto receive therebetween corresponding lugs 83 on connector ring 52 ofthe tube 50 and then tube 50 is twisted to provide a water-tight sealdue to the presence of an intervening O-ring 84 as shown in FIG. 4.

The outer end of cloth cuff 78 is slit and provided with any suitabletype of slit-closing fastening means such, for example, as two opposedpatches 85 and 86 of interlocking disengageable stick cloth to strap thebody member inserted through the sleeve 76. The cuff is importantbecause it aids in preventing the rubber sleeve 76 from inverting itselfif the pressure rises in the perfusion chamber of tube 50.

In operation, an arm, for example, is inserted through the cult andsleeve 76 of the disconnected cap 70. The uninflated sleeve assembly isthen passed over the arm and connected to the cap. Any furtherconnections required are then made, the bladder inflated, the valves setand pump and air motor started. Upon completion of the treatment thebladder is deflated, the liquid drained, the parts disassembled andremoved from the patient.

Various instruments and switches are shown on the cabinet which can beprovided to give control and visual indication of temperature of theliquids in the tanks 12 and 14, the operation of the air blower 42, etc.For example, the liquid in tank 12 may be at 60 F. and that in tank 14may be regulated to a temperature between 90 and 120 F.

It is contemplated that the cap member 70 can be duplicated at the otherend of the sleeve so that the compartment will isolate only part of ahuman limb, for example, from above to below the knee or from above tobelow the elbow.

By providing screw-threaded or other water-tight couplings of a typeknown to the art, the parts of the cabinet may be dissassembled forsterilization purposes as separate units; for example, the two tanks 12,14, the assembly 22, 24, 26, 28, the assembly 34, 38, 40', and theregulator valve 30 with or without the attached conduits 32 and 36. Thesleeve 50 and cuff 70 may also be sterilized as separate units as may bethe air hose 44.

There is thus provided a versatile device which can be used in thetreatment of burns, contaminated Wounds, open fractures, chronicosteomyelitis, stasis ulcers and dermatoses, since various medicationsmay be included in the circulating liquid. Among its assets are repeatedready alternation of warm and cool liquid and sterile environment fortreatment all at bedside and Without carrying the patient to stationarytherapy equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. Portable hydrotherapy apparatus comprising:

a pair of tanks for liquid,

means for cooling liquid contained in one of said tanks,

means for heating liquid contained in the other of said tanks,

a hollow, elongated, water-tight perfusion compartment adapted tosurround a portion of a human body inserted into said compartment,

a liquid inlet to said compartment,

a liquid outlet from said compartment,

flexible conduits and valve means contained in said conduits forconnecting said inlet and outlet selectively to each of said tanks toestablish separate circuits for the circulation of liquid from each ofsaid tanks through said compartment and returning to the same tank, and

a pump in the conduit leading to said inlet for circulating liquidthrough said compartment successively from and to each of said tanksdepending upon the setting of said valve means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid inlet is at oneend of said compartment and the liquid outlet is at the other end ofsaid compartment.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having in addition means for pumpingair into said compartment in cross flow relation to the flow of liquidthrough said compartment and thence exhausting from said compartmentwith said liquid into the tank then included in the circuit.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means for pumping airinto said compartment includes a perforated rigid tube extendinglongitudinally within said compartment.

5. Portable hydrotherapy apparatus comprising:

a tank for liquid,

means for heating liquid contained in said tank,

a hollow, elongated water-tight perfusion compartment adapted tosurround a portion of a human body inserted into said compartment,

a liquid inlet to said compartment,

a liquid outlet from said compartment,

flexible conduits and valve means contained in said conduits for placingsaid inlet and outlet in communication with said tank for circulation ofliquid from said tank through said compartment and returning to saidtank,

a pump in the conduit leading to said inlet, and

means for pumping air into said compartment in crossflow relation to theflow of liquid through said compartment and thence exhausting from saidcompartment with said liquid into said tank.

6. Portable hydrotherapy equipment comprising:

an elongated sleeve having a collapsible outer tubular Wall made offlexible, transparent material,

a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet adjacent opposite ends of saidsleeve,

means for sealing said sleeve around and in watertight relation to ahuman body portion inserted into said sleeve,

inflatable bladder means attached to the inside of the outer wall ofsaid tubular sleeve for moving the outer wall of the sleeve when thebladder means is inflated to radially expanded position to maintain thevolume of the chamber in which said body portion has been inserted atits maximum for circulation of liquid flowing through said sleeve fromsaid inlet to said outlet, and

means for inflating and deflating said bladder means.

7. Equipment as claimed in claim 6 having, in addition, a perforatedtube extending longitudinally Within said sleeve, and

a second inlet connected to said perforated tube for blowing air throughperforations in said perforated tube into said sleeve for exhaustionwith a liquid flowing out through said outlet.

8. Equipment as claimed in claim 6 in which the bladder means is formedby an inner tubular member of flexible material sealed at its ends andalong parallel spaced longitudinal lines to the inside of the outer wallof said tubular sleeve, leaving unsealed portions along said lines toprovide communication between the resulting circumferentially adjacentlongitudinally extending bladder cells.

9. Portable hydrotherapy equipment comprising,

an elongated sleeve having a tubular wall made of transparent material,

5 6 a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet to and from said ber and meansexternal to said diaphragm for strapping sleeve, the sleeve to the bodyportion. means for sealing said sleeve around and in water-tightrelation to a human body portion inserted into said References Citedsleeve, UNITED STATES PATENTS a perforated tube extending longitudinallywithin sa1d 5 sleeve and Rlnks et a1.

a second inlet connected to said perforated tube for 4/1968 claycomb etflowing air through perforations in said perforated tube into saidsleeve for exhaustion with the liquid TRAPP Primary Examiner flowing outthrough said outlet. 10 U S Cl X R 10. Equipment as claimed in claim 6wherein the seal- 128 375 mg means mcludes a tubular flanged clrcularrubber dlaphragm adapted to snugly grip the inserted body mem- 22 33UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. BAT/JDated November 11, 1969 Inventor(s)ThOmaS H Tracy It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

olumn 5, line 11, change "6" to --9--.

SIGNED AND SEALED MAR 2 41970 Man wmw mm .m Offiw oamiaaloner of Patents

